In addition to paint color, also consider the lighting in the room. I would add a lamp or two to get more light in the space.

And consider the light bulbs. They can cast different colors of light. There are the Reveal lightbulbs, that my sister swears by, that can really change the look of a space at night. If you are using DFLs, check out what using different bulbs that have more of a "daylight" hue can do.

When I had a very similar bedroom, small, dark, window opening onto an air shaft, I painted the walls in a warm off-white eggshell paint and the trim a bright white in a high-gloss paint. I had no overhead fixture, so I had three lamps in the room.

My solution: stop using the overhead light! No matter what color you paint the room, the overhead will make it look unappealing. Try a table lamp or torchere lamp instead. I second the Reveal bulb suggestion as well.

If you're ok with white, BM Atrium White has somewhat pink undertones that will warm up your space a bit. That might be too much white, however, with your white linens and pine dresser. I can also recommend Farrow & Ball Skimming Stone, which has done wonders for our bedroom with a north-facing window. It's a medium greige.

I too have a dark bedroom with little natural light. Research on the AT website recommends the counterintuitive move of going with dark wall paint. With your furniture I'd go with a dark blue on the walls, crisp white ceiling and moulding. Do a search of AT for bedroom with dark blue walls and you'll see some beauties. Your light colored furniture will pop nicely and the polka dot chair will tie in well.

(That pine dresser is just screaming for some paint.)

If you can sleep with some light in the room, consider a sheer panel to cover the window (and that green trim). You can at least imagine you have a view.

Or, if you need darkness, do the panel and keep the curtain rod/curtains.

And yes, a more dramatic color. It'll make the white bedding pop.

Some contrast might help, everything is kind of beige so there's nowhere interesting for the eye to settle. Go find a piece of fabric that you love, something with colour, pattern, texture, bling and hang a big piece of it on the wall over the bed. Pick a colour from the fabric and paint the wall with the window on it that colour. Alternatively paint the window wall yellow, so that at least it reads 'sunshine' even if none comes in.

When I had the short straw in SF and got this bedroom I painted the airshaft white. Ha! And then I screwed little pots of shade tolerant flowers and ivy to the wall. Hanging a mirror in the airshaft might also be an interesting way of fooling folks by reflecting the light of your (cheery white) walls back into the room. Why not?

go dark and cozy with chocolate paint or dark teal or deep crimson depending on your tastes, individual lamps for reading in bed, etc

Don't fight it, go with it.
I have similar problem with my kitchen and in my experience no matter how you try to make it seem light, it won't be. Too many light colors will only make it seem cold, so you rather try to make it a warm and cozy nook. I would suggest warm colours like orange or terracotta, at least on some of the walls, and lots of soft fabrics with nice pattern. And table/floor lamps too, as suggested by others. Have fun and let us know!

You definitely want some colour contrast in there to help even out the "bland beige" factor.
To add some colour and warmth to the room, i'd suggest painting the wall behind the dresser/bed something like a dark rusty orange or a coppery red.
You should then try painting the dresser an olive green tone with some dark brown handles... or even give it some character by painting the 1st and 4th drawers the dark brown with green handles... maybe paint the window frame the same colour while you're at it?
Don't be afraid to go for rich, colourful fabrics for your pillow, sheets, and curtains. Try a patterned bed cover to bring some attention to that side of the room. If you have and framed photos, try hanging them together in an organized chaos kind of way.
Last thing- Lamps and plants. if you could hang some kind of decorative lamp above your bed it would fill the space nicely (draping white christmas lights are also very cozy!), and a reading lamp would make for better lighting overall. A little plant on your dresser like some bamboo would pretty much complete the homey feel... and if your feet get cold, find a nice little rug for beside your bed :) good luck!

Maybe it is the photo, but I think the grey walls look fine. The room doesn't look pulled-together, though. The teeny print by the bed looks like an afterthought, and the chair is an odd contrast with the linens and light pine dresser. Maybe you could change out the chair cushions so they match the linens, and add some color in through throw pillows on both pieces (maybe a throw blanket on the chair?). Art might be a little challenging with the broken-up wall by the bed, but a grouping of pictures or items will look great. Seems like you love neutrals, but bringing in some muted color will drive out the cold -- I think muted more than bright, but anything non-primary could work. Hanging a sheer curtain inside the window frame under the existing drape is another idea that will soften the space and warm it up. That's another spot you can bring in color. Cost Plus has cotton sheers in a variety of shades that could work.

I agree! I have the same problem in my living room right now, and I am going to paint my walls a rich gray-blue and paint the molding crisp white. I've been researching this a lot as well. The deep rich color with bright accents and furniture can make the dark room feel cozy and intimate. Lots of votive candles too!

Warm and inviting doesn't necessarily mean red or terracotta. It's about creating a certain atmosphere, and what I think your room needs is decor. You seem to like lighter colours, so I would stick to that. As has been suggested above, I wouldn't paint the walls, but concentrate on the fabrics, the dresser and the lighting. Paint the dresser in any colour you like (how about sage or duck egg blue?), put a nice throw on the bed (something in a muted colour, and preferably with some texture) and buy a lamp shade or wall lamps (I like the picture on the top right, but this may not be your taste: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/bedroom/bedroom_lighting/). You could also use wallpaper on one wall, just something with a very small motif in lighter colours. I'm not sure what kind of style you prefer, but in case you would want to make your room more feminine: glue a velvet ribbon at the back of the mirror and hang it above the dresser, get some pillows in silk or brocade fabric, use a nice curtain tie with a tassel, put a candlestick on the dresser etc.

I agree with the aforementioned idea of going with a dark paint. I live in an old stone house with one skinny window in each room and low ceilings to boot. I always wanted a light and airy white space but I've learned that I feel most comfortable in the rooms that I've embraced for what they are. My office is painted in Martha Stewart Living's 'Seal' (a warm, brownish-charcoal) and it's the best room in the house. The trick (for me) is to add a fair amount of white (door, cabinets, bookshelves, etc.) and then add eye-catching art and fabrics. Doesn't need to look busy, just put together. All that to say: maybe you could get away with dark walls instead of fighting them. Then try mirrors, art, breezy curtains, etc.

If you want to stay with a lighter griege, I like Benjamin Moore Abalone. It has a pinkish undertone instead of green.

I do like the idea of going dark in this room. However, dark is relative - in a room with little natural light, a medium-toned paint will look quite dark, so I would go one or 2 steps lighter on the color chip. For example, a nice warm dark blue like Ocean Floor will read as an off black Midnight Oil (Benjamin Moore), and you might want to go as light as Mineral Alloy.

If you want to do a warmer brownish tone, then I have had great luck with Davenport Tan. It's a mid-tone brown that can look taupey-gray, reddish or bronze depending on the light. It's one of those foolproof paint colors.

I have been unable to get this image out of my mind lately

http://www.myfavoriteandmybest.com/storage/125537908333814164_LaD5aouu_c.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1357130954142

You can tell that is a room that does not get a lot of light. Dark taupey-gray walls, paint your furniture black, you've already got the white bedding, some warm lamps, a big piece of moody art. I'd do a sheer window treatment too.

I had a small, north-facing room and painted it Juniper by Devine. It was really cozy and it made the white trim pop. Your white bedding would likewise pop.

I used to have a tiny living room with almost no natural light (landlords had built a closet for the washer/dryer around the only window). The room had a chair rail, so I painted the lower part orange and the upper part yellow. The darker shade on the bottom tricked the eye into thinking the room was taller and airier than it actually was.

Also, I never used the overhead light. Whenever a guest flicked the overhead light on, the room looked cramped and depressing, regardless of color combos. So, table and floor lamps all the way!

Benjamin Moore "summer lime" worked for me. For a bedroom with little natural light, I had to have a light but vibrant color.

I had a color consultant choose the paint colors for my house a few years ago. She asked what I was thinking in different rooms, and when I told her I was thinking of a gray for the dining room, she very kindly steered me away from that color. I live in Michigan, where the skies are gray and gloomy for most of the year, and she recommended a warm, cheerful yellow to balance that. I'd never really used warm colors in my house before, but now my entire house is warm, and it really does make a difference, especially in the winter when everything outside is white and gray.

Anyway, that made me think of your room, with no natural light. I have a hallway upstairs that doesn't get much natural light (only from windows in the rooms off of the hall), and it's painted Ellen Kennon's Classic Marc, which is a beautiful yellow tinged off-white. It's just a pretty, cheerful, light color, and I thought of it immediately when you described your space. I know that warm colors aren't so popular right now, but I think it would be lovely.

I won't reiterate about paint and lamps, but have a few mirrors around the room. They bounce and reflect light and give the room a sense of more space.

The perfect wail colour would be a one which is off-white/ cream base with a duck egg undertone, its a warm and cold colour so plays a natural feeling. You could whitewash the bed and chest too, and even install a natural lighting feature above the window to be covered by a thinner white curtain, to feel as if the room does in fact receive natural light. You could place some mirrors in the room however they may make the room look bigger but they can also cram a small room too much. Painting the rocking chair with whitewash too would be very inviting too, distressing it will also suit the room.

I completely agree with the comments about the light. When I first moved into my room with very little natural light, I was completely disheartened with the way it looked. Now I have two lamps, one on my bookshelf and one arc lamp over my bed, and you would not believe the difference it makes!

I also have a sheer curtain on the window that I do have (that looks onto this sort of cut-out in between the next row house) and that definitely helps with what light does come in. I got a sheer curtain with a design so it wasn't as boring as a plain white sheer curtain panel.

You could also try painting your unfinished dresser a new color! I think that would help a lot.

I have your dresser! From Ikea right? I painted mine white and stained the top, if you need some inspiration. http://www.flickr.com/photos/conchitasdaughter/8176477882/

It was a little difficult to stain (the wood grain in pine is tricky or something), so if you decide to do something with yours I would recommend painting over staining the whole thing.

Also, I agree with the people who said you just need to add more accessories and color contrast, and lamps!

Adding more lighting will 100% make the biggest difference. Since it looks to be a smaller room, I suggest looking into some wall-mount sconces. Ikea makes some nice plug-in ones so you don't have to get an electrician involved. Greyed colours tend to look a little sad in poorly lit rooms, and I find that in a place with very little light, whites also look somewhat depressing. I wouldn't necessarily go very dark, but a colour with a little more depth can help stave off that shadow-y feel. If you want to keep with a neutral, I'd look at BM's Grant Beige or Inuksuk. A little darker and a little less grey, but in the same sort of family as Edgecomb Gray.

My old place had a problem like yours. The only light for the living area was from a small window in the door leading outside to a dark patio. Friends said to keep the walls white, but they only looked grey in the day. So, I treated the room as if it was always night outside. Gave the walls a two tone green rag roll, used overhead track lights on a dimmer to light my pictures, multiple floor lamps with dimmers and accent lights (string lights behind sheer curtains).

I would also suggest getting some prints and photos for the walls, too. They'll add visual interest while adding dimension.

Lastly, think of the room like it was your own personal hideaway, only accessible by that secret panel in the library...

The impression of more light.... My neighbour has a window that looks at a tall dark building wall and gets no direct light. She sent away for one of those fake stain glass window peel and stick type window coverings. She said it was easy to install. I thought it would make things darker, and maybe it does. However, she picked a colourful one (lots of cherry red) and it appears to make the room brighter.
When we were young we found an inexpensive stain glass window still in a frame, hung it on chains, towards the front of the real window frame and put a florescent light with a switch on its cord behind the stain glass at the top of the window frame. It was wonderful! Not going to find something like that now for an affordable price but could it be faked?

LIGHTING!! Adding floor lamps and table lamps will add warmth an interest. Not a fan of the terracotta or red idea. I love the grey you have on the walls, but definitely bring in more bright colored pieces, like painting a pattern on the dresser drawers (chevron, navajo, polka dots) and then adding a colorful pillow or throw, as well as larger artwork.

By the way, I do speak from experience. I live in a "garden" apartment ie little to no natural light in most rooms. I've found that overhead light is the worst! Usually its too bright in a harsh unnatural way. I've added all sorts of lighting options:under cabinet, table lamps, floor lamps, gallery lighting on bookshelves.

In the bedroom, I wanted warmth so I painted a warm color - not good. It was a wee bit depressing at times. And I getting up in the morning was awful - it was so dark.

I have since painted a light and fresh aqua color. I have simple bed linens and similar furnishings (natural wood, and two pieces with darker wood). But I added cherry red table lamps, and pillows with deep blue and green accents. And wall art.

Hope the suggestions you are getting help!

If you really want to stay with this colour scheme, I definitely second abandoning the over-head light and placing some cosy lamps at different heights around the room. Perhaps place a lamp in front of a well- placed mirror to reflect light into the room, and introduce some metallics to add sheen and the illusion of light?

I was reading this and had a thought, and wanted to know if anyone had tried it. Using LED light tape surrounding the windows and then covering them with a heavier sheer.

I cast about for ideas for painting the living spaces on the first floor of my house. It doesn't get much natural light, and I had tried to "go with it" by painting it with dark colors. Too depressing.

I upgraded the lighting (I think everything was either dome lighting, or lighting with "antiqued" yellowed glass shades). I went with ceiling fixtures/chandeliers that point downward, with frosted white instead of antiqued glass shades. Played with a couple of different light bulbs. Added floor lamps and lots of mirrors.

For paint color, I'd heard dark was the way to go (nope), light was the way to go (maybe?) -- but what made the most sense to me was when I read that medium is the way to go in rooms with little light. I chose Martha Stewart's cement gray (color matched in Behr premium plus ultra)-- even though I live in a very cloudy city. I love it -- my curtains and some of my chairs are white, and my bookshelves are dark (espresso?) -- I add in pops of color in accessories and painted an accent wall in one room a nice yellow and another accent wall in another room, white. (I wish I'd gone a little more mustardy on the yellow).

By the way -- the Behr covered even the chocolate brown paint in one coat, no primer.

Seems as though you've got 2 basic options: either try to "fake" the sunlight effect with a verrrry pale yellow on the walls and lots of lighting and mirrors to bounce the light around OR embrace the naturally darker room and accentuate it with a deep, rich paint color, like a plum or eggplant.

Yet another way to go would be a mix of some very vibrant paint colors and accessory/fabric patterns of the sort you see in Morocco, India or New Mexico (or rooms influenced by those places). Moroccan-style ceiling lights or punched-tin sconces or other such lighting would also be very dramatic in this setting or against some deep plummy walls. With enough color and pattern (and good lighting), your eyes will be so entranced, you probably won't even notice the lack of natural light.

An addtional option would be to have some big leafy plants with some can lights on the floor behind them, creating shadows and pattens from the play of lights on the leaves.

You've got a lot of great suggestions here. The best grays, if you want to stay with that, IMHO are from Farrow & Ball. You might also find it helpful to check out some of the info and pictures about using color on How to solve decorating problems with color and pattern, , Using color in your home, and 10 decorating mistakes and how to avoid them. I find some of the examples on these sites helpful because it helps you visualize what the result will be. To add depth, you might also want to consider covering one or more walls with wallpaper or fabric - a light realistic looking trellis design on a darker background, for example, should make the wall visually recede and the space look more open. Hope you will post a picture of the room after you've decided which option to follow.

1. Lighting. Yes, the GE Reveal are the ones that I swear by, and coincidentally, are the ones that the interior decorator I'd hired also swears by. Consider a hanging light pendant or two to draw your eye upwards.

2. If you can, get something for the walls to draw your eye upward. Any quilts you can hang? Pictures? Photos? I recommend pops of color.

3. If it's not too much of a splurge, get a headboard for the bed. It'll add some presence to that furniture piece and make it look less clinical.

4. Get rid of or paint that cabinet. Give it some inspire sparkle with interesting knobs--colored glass, crystal or clear Lucite, for example, or maybe something porcelain with a bold peacock-y color?

Great job on the Tarva! What kind of paint finish did you use?

You can buy a special pre-coat for wood that is difficult to stain and then it will take the stain better - ask about it at your local paint store.